That hilarious swapsies deal this morning between Inter Milan and Barcelona is actually happening! It's Ibrahimovic to the Nou Camp and Samuel Eto'o to the San Siro. No word yet whether other players are involved.
This summer is insane. Why are so many top-end players changing hands?
Showing posts with label Inter Milan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Inter Milan. Show all posts
Friday, July 17, 2009
Quick Throw: The Swap is Confirmed.
Swap Shop. Who Gets The Better Deal?
A Friday morning quickie. Inter Milan and Barcelona are currently discussing a swap deal that will send Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Barca and Samuel Eto'o the other way. Personally I think Ibrahimovic is highly over rated and disappears during big games, bagging goals for fun against lesser opponents in the Italian league. But hey, that's just me. So lets have a Friday morning vote. Who is getting the better deal, out of this er..deal...Barcelona or Inter Milan?
Friday, March 27, 2009
UF POWER POLL-- MARCH 27, 2008
Welcome to List Day on UF! If you're looking for coherent thoughts strung together with transitional phrases-- all in support of some unifying thesis, well... you've come to the WRONG PLACE! Sumpin' may slip through the cracks here or there, but mostly we're just going to name a bunch of shit, in some particular order, by some chosen standard, then watch like mad scientists as you debate it-- or should I say, as we debate our own decisions, with your scathing commentary fueling this shared fire. So look out for the UF Best XIs-- we each picked one, and all by different measures-- and if I can plug myself here Ed: Go on, son, a Top Tenner of "Spurs' Worst Transfer Moves since the Dodgy Lasagne Incident of 2006." You'll see both later in the afternoon.
For now though, please enjoy our 18th power poll in the last 15 days. We've bumped this one up in accordance with international week. And because soooome of us just could not wait another minute to vote ManUre into the 3rd or 4th slot. As always, the Facebook vote has been factored in with all the UF "staffers."
1) Barcelona - 1.4 (1st, 1.2)
No shock here. The Catalans hold on to the top slot. In a week when United fail to bounce back from the Anfield Incident, Barca douse Malaga in their champagne best. Lingering has given me shit in the past for wearing a Barcelona shirt-- as I'm a known delinquent Spurs supporter-- and I try to explain that, ya know, "mes que un club," and stuff. When they are at their best, they are a credit to the game. They are what separates, in form and function, football from baseball and other more staid endeavours. (That said, if Spurs and Barca ever competed for something, I'd root for Messi's fat legs to snap like twigs during the morning trot...)
2) Liverpool - 1.6 (3, 3.4)
If Barca conjure up ideals of football Renaissance, angels' wings, and potpourri, then Liverpool-- Viva Los Rojos!!-- are Guernica. They are fucking assassins. Madrid, United, and now Villa. Three snuff films. Rafa and 'Nando flying bombers over Dresden. Paul Castellano had a better chance than Villa. Fergie looked like Moe Green during his [final] rubdown.
Of course, it's all prologue. All leading up to Game 38. At Anfield. The Return of Robbie Keane. Please, footy gods, please let that game be relevant to the title. One's testicles shrink in anticipation!
3) Manchester United - 3.6 (2nd, 1.9)
It truly does happen to EVERYBODY. Barca had their dry run. Liverpool edged toward it, then fell off the cliff at Middlesbrough-- after being nudged for months... and now it's United's turn. Have they hit a wall? They were winning, but never filling the net. The Inter encounter was probably a little too close for comfort. They are, at present, a team that can be held. I mean, Spurs did it for 120 minutes against their 3/4 strength Carling Cup squad. Ditto for Fulham at the weekend. Could Liverpool have set off The Crack-Up of '09. Cos that's what it'd be.
4) Inter Milan - 5.1 (5th, 5.5)
Followed their close-but-not-really-that-close swipe at United with consecutive clean sheets against Fiorentina and Reggina. They haven't conceded in three matches in Serie A play. So basically, for Inter in 2008-09, it's new manager, old results. Some clubs would be happy with their problem. Looking at you, Liverpool.
5) Hertha Berlin - 6.6 (6th, 7.0)
I recalculated this two times. But the figures are correct. Even with a loss, Hertha remain in the top half of our poll. They do lead the Bundesliga, and have for a bit now. So credit there. And I think we all like them a bit because they're not Bayern... and all that stuff about what they meant to the East Germans during the Berlin Wall years (see: Simon Kuper). Or maybe we're just idiots...
6) Chelsea - 7.2 (4th, 5.2)
There's nothing like being right. And I was right on this one.
Allow myself to quote... myself (from March 18):
It's odd to say, but this weekend at WHL has to be a bit of a measuring stick. The Blues have been good, and beating Juventus is always a feather in your cap, but have they really faced down an in-form club and dominated? Nyet. Stomp Spurs on derby day and we'll be wholly convinced.
0-1.
Hence, fourth to sixth place.
7) Real Madrid - (unranked)
Like Inter, except not winning their League. They recovered nicely from the Liverpool debacle to win two straight in La Liga and stay within a grito of Barca for the Spanish title.
8) Bayern Munich - 9.6 (T-7, 8.8)
Bayern like to bounce around this region of the poll... in and out and up and around. The questions remain. Can they do it against the big boys? Karlsruhe and Bolchum ain't the big boys. Thankfully, they'll be sorted out-- one way or another-- in the next round of the Champions League. Should be fun. Goals Goals Goals!
9) Arsenal - 12.7 (t-7, 8.8)
So they're here.
Question: I've become a bit obsessed of late with reading about and watching video of the Dutch WC team from 1974.. Cruyff and Michels' squad who lost to the Germans in the final, etc. I've even bought in, to a degree, to the idea that despite being outscored (details!) they are the great squad of the tournament. Actually, I think a lot of people would agree with that sentiment as it's just been articulated. So the question is-- does feeling this way mean I'm starting to think like a Gooner? Like, as long as ze football eez beautiful, ve can never loooze fair... Dey keeked us! Etc...? I don't think so, but I'll keep an eye out...
10) Porto - 14.3 (unranked)
Just edged Villareal on the "still in the Champs League so I guess I'll put them tenth vote." But let's leave it on one more question: If Spurs had a home-and-home with the Dragons, who would the bookies favor? i think it'd be Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. But that's just me :)
Dropped - AZ Aalkmar, AC Milan
In the mix - Juventus, Villareal, Spurs (two 10th place votes!), Wolfsburg,
Monday, March 23, 2009
Quick Throw: Mourinho continues to burn Serie A bridges
The Special One should now be known as The Consistent One, because nary a Serie A weekend passes without some good old-fashioned slander.
This time, Jose voiced his belief that while he picks the Inter XI every week, his rivals let the stronger-willed club presidents deal with team sheets. And to the shock and dismay of no-one, his coaching rivals are fighting back.
At what point with the overtime costs incurred by Inter's PR department become greater than the severance package they'd need to give Mourinho? Surely not much longer until that happens....
[Guardian Sport]
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
UF POWER POLL - March 3, 2009
After a 21-moon hiatus, the UF Power Poll returns today with some big changes and one glaring, red-faced constant. The worst we can say about Manchester United? They have conceded A GOAL (but not with van der Saar playing) and they did fail to do off with Spurs in 120 minutes (they waited to KICK ARSE in the shoot-out.) If they've suffered at all, it's by NOT notching that "precious away goal" at the San Siro. But we all knew this would be a tricky fixture. In theory, Jose and Co. have a decent chance at this. In theory. In practice, as much as soooome of us (self-included) can't stand it, Man U will probably win 2-0 at Old Trafford.
And what of Barca? Pep had sailed a near perfect course until the middle of February, but can he right the ship now? It's easy to dominate in the fall and winter, less so to recover as spring arrives. And then, before we get down to it, there's a certain well-known club from central Spain. They are called Real Madrid and they are led by one of the foremost managers in world football: Juande F#$%ckin' Ramos.
Dios Mio.
Here's the list-- with your Facebook votes lumped in!
1) Manchester United - 1.2 (last poll: 2nd place, 1.67 avg)
The Carling Cup winners tighten their death-grip on the top spot mostly thanks to Barca's freefall. It really wasn't a great two weeks by SAF's outsize standards. Like we mentioned, they should be expected to come through home to Inter, but would you be shocked if Mourinho snuck in there and managed a 1-1 (thus, sending the Mancs out on away goals)?? If Zlatan wants to stick it to his legion of English detractors, I believe this may be the time.
2) Real Madrid - 2.8 (4th, 4.00)
Probably the form club in European league play right now... maybe the best team on the continent if not for that Liverpool disaster. (It was an unlucky draw for Real, as Liverpool is probably the best team in Spain. Lingering should start a petition to move Los Rojos to La Liga. Surely they'd win a title there before the Premier League.) Still, the winning streak in the league is impressive, as is the way they're doing it. Ramos plays a style that might not win Europe, but is sure to make him a favorite at the Bernabeu. How man 6-0s did Don Capello manage during his title run?
3) Inter Milan - 2.9 (3rd, 3.67)
Draws with Torino and Roma in Italy have got to be frustrating, but would anyone like to bet on Juventus to overtake them? Think not. Another (real) Scudetto is in the offing and now it's all about the Champions League. Denying Man U that road goal was huuuuuge, obviously, and one can only imagine what Mourinho is cooking up for the trip north. His office is probably looking like the scene from A Beautiful Mind with Russel Crowe going apesh*t with the maps and magazine covers. Here's my hint, don't let Ronaldo alone with your left back.
4) Barcelona - 3.4 (1st, 1.33)
We're a fickle group over here-- the Facebook crew was more steady, placing these guys Second-- dropping the two-time leaders all the way down to the fourth slot. As we mentioned in the intro, Barcelona are in their first bad streak since Pep took over, so it remains to be seen if the mister can deal with a spot of failure. If they escape this Lyon mess, we'll still be rooting for that Barca - Man U final.
5) Juventus - 7.1 (unranked)
Juventus head up our Best of the Rest list. The latest challenger to Inter's reign of dominance in Serie A, they've had some...uhh... good luck (sound familiar?), but have also been fairly consistent in not losing. Though they did just that against Chelsea last week...
Wait, what are these guys doing so high up? I think we've been compromised. Someone here's on the take.
6) Hertha Berlin - 7.2 (unranked)
Oh, those wild and wacky Germans. Once again, this is the most competitive of the "big leagues" in Europe. Hertha are the newest leaders, overtaking UF men-crush Hoffenheim, Bayern Munich, Hamburg, etc... Led on the scoring sheet by Anfield Legend Andriy Voronin (7), with another win Hertha will exceed their point total from any of the past three seasons. Again, their inclusion is indicative of how sheisty the situation is after the Big Four.
7) Chelsea - 7.4 (unranked)
Sprechen die "Big Four," have Chelsea double-Dutched themselves back into League and European contention? Their season has gone from a Dutch Oven to a Bong and Blintz, Scmoke and a Pancake, in just a few weeks. Whether it's Guus, The New Manager Effect, or Drogba (the latter being the true path back to old glories), Chelsea have been solid of late, in that same unimpressive but dependable way to which we'd all grown so painfully accustomed. The real drama at Stamford Bridge has to be over Hiddink's future. Some rumblings about that he'd stay and offer up the Russkies to buddy Dick Advocaat. In the end, it's all up to Roman, of course. He may be out a bit of money, but the trigger-men are still on salary, so what the Boss says still goes.
8) Olympique Lyonnais - 8.0 (unranked)
How happy are Lyon supporters to know that Fred is finally out of town? (If you're there, Lyon fans, pray tell.) He was a significant part of their incredible run, but really, it's enough. Back to the football-- they were shockingly good against an admittedly struggling Barca side. Still, Barca is Barca and with Benzema in the attack, anything is possible. Including a long sought-after trip to the CL quarterfinals.
Yea, and they're going win in France, again-again-again-again-again-again-again. (The only way they don't is by knocking off Barcelona and losing focus on the league. Something I doubt would upset our Lyon fan. Où êtes-vous?)
9) AZ Alkmaar - 8.1 (unranked)
These dutch bastards just. will. not. lose. After dropping the first two, AZ have gone unbeaten for the better part of six months. And they're doing it with clean sheets and a bit of style. We also thank them for dispatching of any "Look, Steve McCLaren is about to lead Twente to the Dutch title" stories. That would've been bad for everyone... English fans and the people who care about them... the proud history of Dutch Football (David Winner would've crawled into a kiln)... so on...
10) Liverpool - 11.7 (5th, 5.78)
Not much to say here that hasn't already been said. Back to their old tricks. Had a little flirt with the Premier League, then remembered they are not, in fact, an English football team. Hey, I'd love for Spurs to have their problems... but not that manager. Rafa has a fantastic record, no debate, but they will never win the Premier League with him. See: article from yesterday's Guardianas proof.
Per Autoglass: stammering in mock shock-- "This is remarkable. Umm, an injured striker? Who could plan for such a scenario? Why, one might have to keep an extra proven striker around just in case..."
Dropped - Aston Villa, TSG Hoffenheim, Bayern Munich, AC Milan, AS Roma
In the mix - FC Porto, PSG, Celtic
Not in the mix- Arsenal (no votes)
Read more on "UF POWER POLL - March 3, 2009"...
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Champions League Liveblog: Ashtray Floors, Dirty Clothes, And Filthy Jokes
Yeah, I can't hardly wait either. But we're inside of an hour to the start of the round of 16 for the Champions League.
Did you think we wouldn't liveblog at least one of the matches?
Inter v. United. Line-ups in a bit. Liveblog at kick.
Taking one for the team here. Every time I go to watch Arsenal at Fearon's they lose or draw (the FA Cup win over Cardiff being the exception that proves the rule). So I will watch the Special One and the Satanic One.
Outside of the Euro and the World Cup, the next two days might be the best in football.
Line-Ups
Inter Milan: Julio Cesar, Maicon, Rivas, Chivu, Santon, Zanetti, Cambiasso, Muntari, Stankovic, Ibrahimovic, Adriano.
Subs: Toldo, Cordoba, Maxwell, Figo, Cruz, Burdisso, Balotelli.
Man Utd: Van der Sar, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra, Fletcher, Carrick, Giggs, Park, Berbatov, Ronaldo.
Subs: Foster, Rooney, Nani, Scholes, Fabio Da Silva, Gibson, Tevez.
So, of note: Evans and O'Shea are playing. Rooney and Tevez are bench subs.
"You're looking live at the San Siro in Milan, Italy..." Okay, no Musberger but we have live pictures on ESPN2. And they aren't in HD? What the fuck ESPN?
They do a montage with some of the weeniest skinny techno music ever. Apparently ESPN assigns all of its gay interns to soccer.
I'll say it: Zlantan Ibrahimovic is one unattractive man.
ESPN is importing commercials from FSC. They are trying to sell me a Snuggie. O/U on how many Proactive spots they run?
Highlights of Porto under Mourinho beating United. Ha ha, eat shit Sir Alex.
T-minus 5 minutes: I am so excited. I just can't hide it. I think I want the Champions League theme played at my wedding. Any surprise I'm not close to being married?
T-minus 3 minutes: Could they find dorkier looking kids to accompany the players?
Dear Zlatan: When I'm upside down on my mortgage, can I live under your nose? Thanks, Precious Roy.
T-minus 1 minute: Oh my God. Kick already. And then somebody on United get hurt already.
KICK: And we're off...
And someone decided to call me right at kick. Uh, sorry. Not answering.
2nd minute: Sloppy possession by Inter, by United picks it up and counters. Ronaldo is booed severely on his first touch. Then gets a free kick.
3rd minute: From about 25 out. Ronaldo with a rocket but right into Julio Cesar's arms. Game on.
4th minute: O'Shea with a gift to Adriano near the edge of the box, but he can't make anything of it. And they give it back to United.
5th minute: United very patient and deliberate in any build up. Evra earns a corner off a good Zanetti tackle.
6th minute: HOLY SHIT. That was a rocket header from Ronaldo off the corner by Giggs. Julio Cesar with an unreal save from point blank range. Awesome stuff early.
7th minute: Inter chasing the game a bit as United are keeping possession fairly easily. Rivas on Park gives United another free kick from about 30 out. Ronaldo takes it... Just wide. Forces a dive from Cesar but it curves about 2 feet wide. United with the chances early.
9th minute: Now Inter... At the edge of the United box. Ball goes to the right and Stankovic puts it into row DD. Oops.
And my picture flickers. Don't fuck this up ESPN.
11th minute: Stankovic again sends one in to low orbit. Just an awfful toe punch.
12th minute: United easily the more composed side. Inter look tentative on even the shortest of passes. They've had one good sting of passes around the box. United with a throw deep in Inter's half.
14th minute: Zanetti takes Carrick down just outside the 18...
Gigss takes it. And knocks it off the wall. Inter are giving United all kinds of chances from set pieces.
15th minute: Poor communication from Maicon and Ibra and Inter waste another trip to the outside of the United box. Inter look like crap.
17th minute: Inter almost slowing things down. But United counter and Berbs almost hits Park with a clever flick through. Cesar picks it up and the threat is over.
18th minute: Ack! Adriano collections a sky ball and feeds it back to Zanetti who again allows Van Der Sar to tend goal while touching himself if he so chooses.
19th minute: Berbs is deep but some nice defensive cover picks it up from Inter and they counter. Adriano collects it turns it up field. The ball gets to Zanetti and again the cross is errant. Good end-to-end for both teams. Nothing comes from it.
21st minute: Fletcher takes down Santon but no whistle. Ronaldo turns it over and Inter are countering, whoops... No they aren't.
22nd minute: And a feed from Ronaldo deflects right into the box and it hits Giggs in the ass. He can't find it or he had an easy goal. Cleared for a corner that falls dangerously in the box. The ball goes back across the box and Evra sends a nice header just wide of the far post. United having the better of it.
24th minute: Ibra gets a long ball and goes 1-on-3. Kicks it in to Evans' shins and it deflects back to midfield. Now United go long. Suddenly it Route 1 from both sides. United with a throw on the Inter third.
26th minute: Do we overrate Serie A this much? Blackburn looked like they posed more questions over the weekend... Oh and Giggs gets in alone. He's got Ceasr lined up and he makes a huge save. Wasted by United.
28th minute: That was horrid defense by Rivas. Just shocking. Giggs had a one-on-one down the left side. They keep Inter on the defensive off the corner. Adriano fails to clear. Ronaldo falls down and He gets the free kick. Shocker.
28th minute: Another beauty free kick and a rocket at that from Ronaldo who forces another great save from Cesar. Oh... and now a header from Ronaldo goes just wide as he had Cesar flat-footed.
30th minute: Someone check Jose's pants and see if he's shat himself yet.
31st minute: Another free kick for United. Their 114th. It is still scoreless. I was joking but before I can even get this posted, Berbs earns another free kick. Ronaldo takes this one from almost the same spot he hit one against Blackburn over the weekend.
32nd minute: And the natives are getting restless. That's lot of whistling from the locals. Ibra offside on a long ball.
34th minute: Inter's best chance yet. Muntari gets deep but his feed for Adriano goes long to the back post and is cleared away by O'Shea.
36th minute: Inter can't get out of their own half or get out of their own way. A nice ball from Ibahimovic with a clever backheel from Stankovic, but there's not enough on it to worry Van der Sar who collects it. That's the first thing he's had to do all day.
38th minute: Ibra almost feeds it to Adriano but O'Shea gets a touch to it and kills what would have been a naked run in on Van der Sar. At least Inter looks like it belongs on the same pitch, but just barely. United on a counter...
39th minute: Ibra with a nifty move to get some space coming out of the corner and he knocks one toward goal. Adriano tries to redirect but it VdS there first.
41st minute: Cesar comes out and jumps high to punch away a ball off the corner. It's a nervy moment and Chivu clears it down the pitch.
43rd minute: You'd never know that United were the ones with the defensive issues entering the match. Rivan and Santon have been iffy. Evans and O'Shea have been solid. Shit call and Toldo gets carded on the bench? Huh? Yep, Toldo carded for talking shit to the ref and know he's having a laugh about it on the bench. Anyway, O'Shea got Muntari in the nuts and they called Muntari for the foul.
45th minute: Santon takes a shot and it's deflected back. Now Maicon gets fouled by Carrick. It's yellow. For Evra? Or Carrick?
HALF. Just one minute of stoppage. Inter lucky to be in a 0-0 match.
Okay, just went to gamecast to check... there was no card on either Evra or Carrick for that challenge on Maicon right before half.
Inter were getting run off the pitch for the first 30, then merely outplayed for the next 15. They gave up about 8 free kick, 6 of which required some good keeping by Julio Cesar. Inter has also made a spectator out of Van der Sar. So, if Jose wants to see the round of 8, he's going to have to do some halftime voodoo so that a different team takes the pitch in second half. A 0-0 draw isn't a disaster for Inter, but this Inter team cannot win at Old Trafford.
Okay, well farting will be interesting for the Inter players as they all now have a second asshole.
Cordoba on Rivas off for Inter.
2nd Half
KICK
46th minute: Muntari wastes no time in giving it away in the United third to undermine and Inter threat early.
47th minute: Now Ibra deep on the left side. He makes a nice little loft pass into the box, but Evans clears. It... Oh, and Adriano misses a sure goal. Ibra let it go by him right to Adriano who knocks it off his own plant foot to send it over the bar.
48th minute: Oh and Adriano goes down on a cross. Rio with a hand on him but no call. Could have gone either way, but of course, no United player ever fouls anyone in the box.
50th minute: Inter already look a different side. Adriano really did have Van der Sar flat-footed and beaten. Then on a good cross from Ibra, Adriano went down in the box. He flooped but Rio had his hand up on his shoulders. Could have been a foul but Adriano's dive didn't help his cause.
51st: Stankovic takes a "Eh, why the not?" low shot from range. It goes wide without troubling Van der Sar. Now United countering... and they hold it up and reverse field. Evra with a good low cross to the feet of Park but it's broken up and cleared.
54th minute: Yep, different Inter team. Crisper. Making better challenges.
55th minuteL United take it down the left side and Park crosses one long and wide. Julio Cesar lets it go for a goal kick.
56th minute: Ibra gets loose alone deep on the left. But O'Shea blocks the cross. Ibra collects the rebound and sends it back in. O'Shea deflects again and it goes for a corner. The corner goes to the far post. On contact between Adriano and Van der Sar, there's a whistle against Inter.
57th minute: Chivu with a two-footer on Berbs who sells it. It was probably a card, but the Bulgarian did his best shot-victim. Yellow for Chivu.
59th minute: Reading the comments, apparently Bendtner is sucking total ass.
Back in Italy, Maicon gets carded. Bullshit. That wasn't a yellow. Just once I'd like to see a match involving United that was ref'ed fairly. IF that was a card, then Evra's tackle was a card.
60th minute: United is starting to look a little gassed. Expect to see Tevez or Rooney in the next 5 miuntes. And Ronaldo goes to the turf and gets a whistle. Fag.
61st minute: An offside Berbs isn't whistled. And he heads it to Park who is guilty of an obvious handball. And there's a whistle. Thanks ref. Not like it wasn't blatant or anything. Inter making United work on defense a little.
63rd minute: And down goes Ronaldo again. This time no whistle. He pouts. Inter give it away and United counter. Park tries to hit Giggs with all kinds of real estate in front of him, but his ball isn't in the same zip code, or Italian equivalent thereof.
65th minute: Cordoba with a nice header back to Cesar to keep Giggs from getting a shot. And back the othe way. Ibra with a cheeky kick shot. And Muntari is tripped. Oh, and no call...? Really? Come on.
66th minute: United.... Should have scored. Ronaldo gets deep and sends one across the naked goal mouth. Park can't get it. Berbs can't get it. And it's finally cleared out for a corner. Just off the foot of two United players. Ronaldo almost created that by himself. Fucker is good. But he's still a diving douche.
68th minute: Ronaldo again, trying to get loose on the right. He's shielded by Santon and he pushes the youngster down and falls with him. Ha ha. Card his ass, ref. Nope. Just a whistle.
69th minute: Maicon wastes a free kick from about 30 meters out. He swings it wide and high and never bothers Van der Sar. Back the other way... Header flicked to Giggs on the right goes long and out of bounds. Teams swapping the ball at midfield.
71st minute: No liquid football today. Muntari makes a nice move to force a foul from Fletcher. Oooh, and a yellow to boot. Of all the things to draw the first United card, it's that? Not that they've been dirty, but they've certainly had harder challenges. Inter on the attack.
72nd minute: Cambiasso finds Adriano in the box, and against he botches it. That's twice that Ibra has made a nice move to let the ball go through but Adriano couldn't get the ball settled to get a shot off from the edge of the 6.
74th minute: And Cambiasso just stabs it away from Ronaldo. Nice tackle. Inter actually trying to come more up the center of United. They go long to Adriano. Ugh... and Muntari misses two targets in the box. The floater goes easily to Van der Sar.
76th minute: Giggs gets space in front he runs across the box. He fires and it's blocked. Cordoba with a nice block as Giggs had a good look at goal there.
Mutari off Cruz on for Inter.
Adriano off Balotelli on for Inter.
77th minute: Berbatov gets in but Chivu rides him far enough out that by the time Berbs gets it settled his angle is cut off and he pushes it to outside of the net.
79th minute: Cruz botches a give-and-go with Ibrahimovic. Now United walk it back up the pitch. Turnover at the edge of the box. Inter coming back. Game is slowing on both sides as they swap possession.
80th minute: Corner United. Evans fouled Cesar on the in-swinger. Rooney getting instructions from Sir Alex. So he's about to come on...
82nd minute: Maicon with a steal. Evra with a BLATANT hand ball on the edge of the box. No whistle. Ball is cross in... How the fuck did Cambiasso not score that. Ugh... That was a terrible non-call on the Evra handball. It must have been bad as even United apologist Smyth thought it was a handball.
Rooney on Park off for United.
83rd minute: So off a throw deep in the United end Ibra flicked it across the box and it hit Cambiasso in the chest but he couldn't get anything behind it so it was saved by Van der Sar. Best chance for Inter all night. So close that Ibra had already started celebrating. Doh.
85th minute: Long free kick for Inter. Ibra takes it, and it comes off Evans but they give a goal kick to United. Really, that was not a good call.
86th minute: So 0-0 is looking more and more likely...
87th minute: Stankovic gets it deep. And the cross comes in, but it's cleared by O'Shea. Ball comes out and Ronaldo finds the ground to draw a foul on Balotelli. It was a foul.
88th minute: And a yellow for Rooney who came in late and high on Cambiasso. Tommy Smyth is trying to fellate Rooney, but that's a yellow.
89th miunte: Whoa... Awful decision by Cesar to come out and Inter almost gift one to United, but Cordoba gets a great touch to push the ball wide to safety. Or wait, on replay was it Julio Cesar that got the touch?
Three minutes of stoppage.
90 +1: Stankovic from distance. Gets it off but it goes high over the bar. Never a real threat. But Inter still pressing.
90 +2: Rooney with a chip in to the box that floats to Cesar. United back on the attack. And Ronaldo takes a dive on minimal contact and gets a dubious whistle. WTF? A Yellow for Cordoba for that? Okay. Contact was legit on the replay, but that was no card. God, I hate Ronaldo. And the Spanish ref is buying every bit of his histrionics today. So United with a free kick at the death.
90 +3: With the last kick, Ronaldo lasers one right into Julio Cesar. On the rebound the whistle blows. So no second chance for United as it comes off Cesar's chest.
Game. 0-0. So it's all on the line for the return at Old Trafford.
Thanks for playing along.
Champions League Preview: Inter Milan v. Manchester United
With all due respect to my compatriots, this is the big match. Sir Alex versus the Special One. Two teams absolutely flying in their leagues. Two of the most entertaining offensive players in Ibrahimovic and Ronaldo. Manchester United's decimated defense (blame the Club World Cup!).
And yet, with all that drama, isn't a bore draw all but inevitable?
For all of Teletubby's talk of "kill or be killed," Manchester United would simply love a nil-nil or 1-1 draw. And the thing about United this year is that the cards always seem to fall their way.... Destiny and the quadruple and all of that.
But, let's look at the positives. Let's look at the unknowns. The biggest will be who exactly forms United's back four. Jonny Evans and John O'Shea traveled to Italy, but both will face last-minute fitness tests (expect the physios to break out lots of the magic spray). After that, and with all due respect to Richard Eckersley and Rafael's twin brother, United have only two fit, available defenders in their squad: Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra. So could we see Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick pushed into the back line?
On the other side of the pitch, Inter Milan have been in great form in Serie A, where they are 9 points clear of second-place Juve. Mourinho has already announced most of his squad, which will of course include Ibrahimovic, Adriano, Cambiasso and the like. And then there's the good ol' Special One with his very special mouth:Manchester United are a great attacking team but I have watched every one of their matches in the Champions League last season and they changed the way they play away. When they played Barça, they had a different approach.
I am not saying they are afraid. I know United don’t like that word. I know Sir Alex doesn’t like that word. But they respect us and they know they can lose and because of that they won’t try the same approach in the Champions League. They will change more than us.
Really, what Premiership fan doesn't miss Mourinho and his mindgames?
So here is what we know: Inter will be pushing for a win. And Man U will be playing to do as little damage to themselves as possible, in the hopes that they can return to Old Trafford and seal it there. This match therefore comes down to which team can impose their will on the game. At best we'll see the classic tactical battle between Fergie and Jose. At worst, it'll be a lot of tentative holding football.
Prediction: I already gave it away above, but I see a 1-1 draw. Inter come out and score in the first half, Man U get a late equalizer by let's say, oh, Berbatov. I loathe United as much as the next non-Mancurian. But they just have that certain aura about them that championship teams get.
As for Man U's defense, I think that Inter will be so focused on exploiting it that they'll lose some play. Thing is, United still has Rio Ferdinard and Van Der Sar, who should be able to cover up for any mistakes by Fletcher, Eckersley or the red pylon cones that Sir Alex sends out to cover up the gaps in the back line.
God knows my heart is hoping for a smashing 2-0 win by Inter that puts heaps of pressure for the return leg at Old Trafford. My brain just tells me otherwise!
Monday, February 16, 2009
UF Quick Throw: Inter prevail in Milan derby; Beckham speaks again
Looking at the two teams, it would have been hard to predict anything other than a victory for Mourinho and Inter, so it's no surprise they won 2-1 despite an atrocious goal of the old "head ball onto arm and in" variety by Adriano. Stankovic's goal atoned for the sloppy first, however, and despite a late intervention by Pato, it was Inter's day, and the Serie A title is surely theirs, barring some Mets-esque collapse.
Oh, and afterwards, Beckham said it's be "difficult" for him to return to the LA Galaxy to fulfill his contr-zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz just sell him already FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.
[Guardian Sport]
Game highlights after the jump, courtesy of the peerless 101GreatGoals.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
UF POWER POLL: Week 2
Another wild week has passed in this fantastically weird EPL season. The top story, both on and off the field, has to be rapid demise of Chelsea FC. When Roman Abramovich dismissed Jose Mourinho some 17 months ago the club were a domestic beast and rising European power. Today, with a third post-Special One manager in the offing, they are well adrift of Man U. and Liverpool atop the League, and more importantly, nowhere to be found in UF Power Poll Top Ten. In fact, their inclusion in our first edition was considered so outrageous by one of the resident scribes, the gentleman felt cause to construct this bilious screed. Now we've only to sit back and wait for The Sun's inevitable "Chelsea's Guus is Cooked!" headline.
We'd also like to announce that UF has come to a sort of power sharing agreement on power polls with The Offside. Apparently, UF is a little quicker on the draw than those fine folks, so like with any huge corporation that gets beat to the punch by the little guy, The Offside has decided to work with UF in a strategic partnership. This essentially involves acknowledgement of the other (or what I like to call a "blogger reach around"). Either that or the two polls are the AP and Coaches' polls. So, who is the BCS? Anyway, here is The Offside's inaugural edition. Go there, compare, and comment.
Again, the formula was simple. Each of our intrepid writers posited his own Top Ten. Then, using an algorithm specially designed by the foremost quantum physician at Nassau Community College, we came up with the following results. Enjoy. Debate.
1) Barcelona - 1.33 (last week: 1st place, 1.14 avg)
Through no fault of their own, the Catalans' score dropped a bit this week. Chalk it up to the team in the two-hole. These guys seems to have the top slots on lockdown, so we'll just sit around and beg the footballing gods for a head-to-head decider on May 27 in Rome.
2) Manchester United - 1.67 (2, 1.86)
The prevailing wisdom is that West Ham had their chances on Sunday... that with a bit of luck and bit less Carlton Cole, they might have nicked one from van der Saar. Well I watched the game and came away with this: West Ham were never going to score. If they played another 90 minutes and another 90 after that, they were never going to score.
3) Inter Milan - 3.67 (5, 5.14)
Mourinho's boys rebounded from a disappointing draw with Torino to wipe the floor with Lecce. Another goal for Zlatan, who's got to be the most exciting (and best paid) player in Italian football. Seven points clear of Juve, the Nerazzurri are going to win another Scudetto and suddenly the Champs League doesn't look so far off.
4) Real Madrid - 4.00 (6, 6.28)
So I guess Juande Ramos isn't as clueless as we all thought. To be fair, he's meant to manage in Spain, and even more so with a big club like Madrid. Like and anti-Guus Hiddink.
5) Liverpool - 5.78 (4, 4.71)
They've dropped some, but this club has air of destiny about them. Time after time they steal results when all seems lost. Say what you want, David James should've stopped at least one of their three last gasp goals from Saturday. But that's an issue for Don Fabio, not Rafa. Rafa's concern should be his strike force. It's going to bite him in the arse eventually. Or not.
6) Aston Villa - 7* (7, 7.00)
All they do is win ballgames. Villa hold steady in the seven slot, and deservedly so. They're not better than the nos. 1-6 sides, but they can certainly compete. If I'm a fan, how can I not be eyeing Man U. and the League.
7) TSG Hoffenheim - 7 (8, 8.43)
Like in real life, Bayern is nipping at the Hoff's heels. They stole a point at Borussia Monchengladbach this weekend, and vital one at that. It is now all that separates them from...
8) Bayern Munich - 8.11 (unranked)
Jump into the Top Ten for the first time EVER this week. A win at home to Dortmund pulled the men from Munich to within a whisper of the Hoff. It was no gimme though. Late goals from Klose (87, 90) secured the 3-1 win. A team on the rise.
9) AC Milan - 9.44 (3, 4.71)
The UF team is very conflicted about the other team from Milan. Could the Beckham transfer business have been a distraction? What the hell happened this week? They were lucky to take a point from the Reggina match. Beckham was iffy, and only a Kaka penno saved them. The most precipitous drop in the HISTORY of the UF Power Poll.
10) AS Roma - 14.67 (unranked)
Yawn. Still, they haven't lost this calendar year. And a beatdown on Genoa (3-0) this weekend was enough to prop them up into the TEN.
Dropped - Chelsea, Arsenal.
In the mix - AZ Alkmaar, Lyon, Hertha Berlin, Juventus, Chelsea (one tenth place spite vote)
*Villa with high vote
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
UF POWER POLL - Debut Edition
People love lists and we are people who love football. With this in mind, it is our pleasure to introduce UF's first semi-weekly European Power Poll.
The formula was simple. Each of our intrepid scribes posited his own Top Ten. Then, using an algorithm specially designed by the foremost quantum physician at Nassau Community College, we came up with the following results. Enjoy. Debate.
1) Barcelona - 1.14
Unbeaten in their last 20 league matches. One loss in 21 games total. That, in their first match, aaaall the way back in August. Messi is unstoppable-- two more goals off the bench this weekend. Barca are 12 points up in the table, +33 over second place Real Madrid in goal differential. Lock for Champ League, surely...
2) Manchester United - 1.86
...Oh, but for those devils at Old Trafford. If anyone can suppress the Barcelona attack it must the Death-defying van der Saar and his now famous backline. They also have this guy... this Portuguese jerk.
3) AC Milan - 4.71*
Sorry Lingering, but they are a whole lot better with Beckham in the lineup.
4) Liverpool - 4.71
Rafa is either a demented genius or just demented. Or fat and ordinary. We'll know soon enough.
5) Inter Milan - 5.14
I think the consensus here is that any club managed by that other Portuguese jerk (just kidding, much love for the Jose) is a threat. Along with a pretty safe hold on Serie A, that's enough to earn a place in the Top 5.
6) Real Madrid - 6.28
Damn, these guys have been real good since... yea yea... since Juande took over. That Raul and Robben have scored in almost every game since New Year's doesn't hurt.
7) Aston Villa - 7
Will a bargain move for Emile Heskey put the Villans over the top? We're officially at the point where it'd be a disappointment if they didn't crack the Champs League.
8) TSG Hoffenheim - 8.43
We're hot for the Hoff. Simple as that. (But the Ibisevic thing hurts... a lot.)
9) Chelsea - 10.86
By far our most controversial entry. Bigus's opinion to follow later this afternoon.
10) Arsenal - 14.14
Like toilet paper stuck to your sole (or soul in my case), they've trailed into the room unnoticed and uninvited. To be fair, if Arshavin is half the magic man he seemed in Austria/Switzerland and Cesc can get back on the field, Arsenal become kind of threatening again.
In the mix - AZ Alkmaar, Bordeaux, Juventus, Roma, Bayern, Olympiakos, (Genoa!)
*had 2 Third Place votes to Liverpool's 1.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Jose it aint so?
Just last week I had to take Mike Ashley to task for being a ridiculous moron. He had breached the rules of common sense in claiming that Joe Kinnear was a better manager than Fabio Capello. Well it's not just Ashley who seems to be suffering with this new disease, stupid-itus, oh no, the latest outbreak has been tracked down to Italy and one Jose Mourinho.
The special one and current Inter Milan boss is claiming that Zlatan Ibrahimovic is better than Ronaldo. Now those who know me can attest to the fact there is no love in my locker for a diving cheating prima donna who sent me into a wild rage during the World Cup 3 years ago.
In fact, it took my wife about a month before she could prize the Christiano Ronaldo Voodoo doll from my fingers. But this statement is just ridiculous. Ibrahimovic is having a great season and scoring good goals but to compare him to THE best player in the World is just nonsense.
We all know that players reach their best at around 27 and Ibrahimovic is no different. Just have a look at Gareth Barry, but truly great players just get better and have the talent on display at a much younger age. Torres, Rooney, Kaka, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo. To declare that a player is better than Ronaldo at 27 after a somewhat decent but un-inspiring 9 years in football is just daft.
Even Darren bent can have a good season or two.
Jose Mourinho is a smart man, and I cannot believe he means what he says. Likely he is trying to play mind games ahead of Inter's two-part battle with United in the Champions League, but should this really be a case of stupid-itus, lets compare the two and restore some common sense to the World.
Zlatan Inrahimovic. Age 27. Club: Inter Milan.
This season. 11 goals in 22 appearances. 6 assists.
Last season. 22 goals in 29 appearances. 9 assists.
06/07 season. 15 goals in 33 appearances. 5 assists.
Last 3 years for Sweden. 13 appearances. 2 goals. 1 assist.
--
Last 3 seasons, club and Country: 97 appearances. 50 goals.
Honors
2 Serie A titles. 2 Eredivisie tiles. 2 Italian Super Cups.
2005 Serie A footballer of the year.
3 Swedish footballer of the year awards.
UEFA team of the year 2007.
Cristiano Ronaldo. Age: 23. Current Club: Manchester United.
This season. 17 appearances. 9 goals. 4 assists.
last season. 45 appearances. 42 goals. 8 assists.
06/07 season. 49 appearances. 23 goals. 20 assists.
Last 3 years for Portugal. 27 appearances. 12 goals. 1 assist.
--
Last 3 seasons, club and country: 138 appearances. 86 goals.
Honors
2 Premier League titles
1 FA Cup
1 League Cup
1 Champions League Trophy
UEFA 2004 Team of the Tournament
FIFA Young Player of the Year 2004
UEFA Team of the Year 2004, 2007
FIFA World 11 2007, 2008
PFA Young Player of the Year 2007
PFA Player of the year 2007, 2008
Premier League Team of the Year 2006, 2007, 2008
Football Writers Association Player of the Year 2007, 2008
Premier League Player of the Season 2007, 2008.
Premier League Golden Boot 2008.
European Golden Shoe 2008.
UEFA club Forward of the Year 2008
UEFA club Footballer of the Year 2008
FIFA World Player of the Year 2008.
Ballon d'or (European Footballer of the Year) 2008
Not close is it? At just 23 years old, Ronaldo has achieved far more at club/International level AND individually than Ibrahimovic. So have at least a score of players Ibrahimovic cannot compete with. Ronaldo is far more creative often changes games at the highest level. Can the same be said of Ibrahimovic? I don't see anyone trying to sign Zlatan for 100 million quid. Or at all!
I hope this outlandish statement is Jose being Jose and not a sign that the special one is becoming a special one, that really would be a loss for football. Once you go all Ron Atkinson, there is no coming back.
-Bigus
Monday, December 8, 2008
UF Quick Throw: Ibrahimovic knows kung-fu
Thanks to The Offside, we can see the continued martial arts education of Swede/Croat/Bosnian striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He's already scored insane goals with his heel, but now it's his turn to play midfield maestro with his back turned.
Of course, his theatrics left him way out of position to receive Stankovic's cross, but hey, let's not detract from his skills just yet.
[The Offside]
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Lessons in Mourinho-speak
We all know Jose Mourinho from his grumpy, suit-wearing days on the Stamford Bridge sidelines, and now he's found himself a new and more stylish gig traipsing around the edge of the San Siro turf. I fear for him, as his move reminds me very much of the Simpsons episode where Homer, as the Isotopes mascot, gets called up to the big leagues and finds that the masses there simply aren't thrilled by his antics. [Watch out for the click-through in that link, disable those pop-ups!]
In Serie A, after all, everyone gesticulates wildly and causes press hysteria by way of arrogant comments and inflammatory remarks against the referee. In England, he was enough of a novelty to stand out against the pale pastiche of drab, jowly managers from the British Isles, replete with their evasive language and empty platitudes.
Nostalgia aside, he's taken over at Inter Milan, and he's looking to redefine himself as something other than "The Special One", the super-ego that sustained him through three-and-a-bit EPL campaigns.
However, I fail to believe that this new-found humility is really that genuine, so I thought I'd go to the trouble of decoding his words into the language that I know Mourinho still speaks [not English, of course. The clever bastard had to go and learn Italian in a month and greet the media flawlessly in their native tongue].
Join me, won't you?
This is a very important challenge for me and I have to thank the managers present here, in particular Marco Branca, for choosing me. It will be fun for you too." I like the players in my squad and I don't need to make radical changes. For myself and the management, the team just needs due or three players to improve and be even more competitive. I want the chance to change things a bit because I don't know any coach who has the same ideas as another. But I didn't like what I read about me not liking some of the players in the squad, and that I want to buy all the best players in Europe. This is not true. I have a clear message that I want to transmit to my players. From now on I want to talk about them as my players. I want to tell all of them that I like the squad and I have faith in them. I have seen a lot of Inter's matches during the season and I appreciated the team's mentality. It's hard for me to wait until mid-July to start." Seriously though, I have lots of over-the-hill crap to sell. Roll up, roll up! How much for Hernan Crespo? It's a neo-Latin language like Spanish and Portuguese, so it was easier. The articles and verb tenses are hard, but the words are similar. It's just a matter of practice and getting used to it, I don't think it will be hard to learn your language. I have spoken with captain Zanetti on the phone. He has a long experience and he told me that just a few weeks of work are needed to best understand the language of a football team." I am better than you, and I will always have more money than you. Plus I'm a phenomenal manager. Ancelotti is a useless cunt. This is a further motivation for me and I want to be an extra person because this isn't a job done by one person, but by many. I think this is an ambition and responsibility of everybody, including the press and the whole movement, the referees, the players, the coaches and the managers. I want to make my contribution. Inter is a team that won the last championship well because it played good football for most of the season, apart from the last two or three months. They always presented themselves as a psychologically strong team and this helped them win the Scudetto." Fuck! Fuck to the highest heavens! We're a league that no-one cares about, and I'm its biggest star!?! Even working under Sven Goran-Eriksson would be a fate kinder than this! Shit fuck shit fuck shit shit shit! I think we can win because this is a terrible, terrible league. Genoa? You mean that place actually exists? Verona? Parma? Livorno? Siena? What kind of horseshit is this? I've never even heard of these teams before. How could I possibly lose? Portugal is the same way -- you show up, you get good results against Sporting and Benfica, and the rest is shit. Sporting could barely beat Bolton. How much of an idiot do you have to be to fuck that one up? Jose is no idiot. Inter Milan is the kind of team I dearly love: one that's full of money and established stars that require little tweaking. Sure, I'll steal some players from that dog Abramovich, but this team is ready to shit all over the AS Romas and Catanias of this league. They will bow to me like the deity I am. If I can't win here, I might as well join the MLS.
[Question in Bold, Mourinho's comments in blockquote, my translation in italics]
Mr. Mourinho, you described yourself as 'special' when you became coach of Chelsea in 2004, and they called you 'The Special One'. What do you want to be called now?I have arrived at a special club, and when a club is like this the coach becomes an extra person. I'm not forgetting that I'm a great coach, but I don't want to be special. José Mourinho hasn't changed. He's the same person with the same ambition, the same motivations, and with a great passion for football. He has always wanted to coach in Italy, possibly at a great club. Inter have given me the opportunity to work in a great footballing nation like Italy.
Let's face it, I'm still the same as I ever was. This move to Italy doesn't affect that. Special, gifted, genius, call it what you will. And honestly, I will have to be a genius to figure out what to do with a squad whose average age is roughly 32.
Do you think it will be necessary to change many elements of the current Inter squad?"From what I have read in the press all over the world - not just in Italy and Portugal - it seems as if I have come to coach a team with a squad of 70 players. This isn't good. I want to work in a team of 20-21 players plus the goalkeepers. I think that every player in the world wants to play for Inter, and that every president wants to sell players to Inter.
Before you all start complaining, I will note that I'm bringing in probably 8 players from Chelsea, including that donkey Frank Lampard. Why, I do not know. We Italian teams are shit with the penalty kick. That's the only reason I can think of, but hey, it's enough, right? Eat shit and die, Roman!
Your command of Italian has surprised us. Have you been studying Italian for long? "I understand your question well. You want to know when Inter contacted me for the first time. I like telling the truth and the truth is that Inter contacted me for the first time the day after the second match against Liverpool, but nothing had been decided then. I hadn't started studying Italian then, only three weeks ago.
Look, you little pen-holding shits, I'm better than you. I learn languages quicker than you learned how to tie your shoes and use proper proofreading marks. In the time it took me to say that, I just learned how to proofread. All learning is easy to me. Swahili, Welsh, the language of the Masai Mara, Jedi, Tagalog... it does not concern me.
Do you think Italian football is the best in the world at the moment?"Italian football is the most important and it keeps improving. I always say what I think and I can say that the Serie A isn't currently the best championship in the world. When you hear it said that the strongest teams want to improve, Inter want to improve too, and it is in this way that Serie A will return to the top levels.
What do you expect me to say, that it's shit? There's at least three leagues better than this one. I used to work in the best league in the world until I got fired. Now I come to a world of "catenaccio" and flip-flopping. Heck, why do you think we sold Arjen Robben? I was sick of his weak-legged plummeting! And now this place, the land of Gattusos and that cunt Materazzi... shit, he's on my team?
Do you think your squad can win in your first season as coach of Inter?"I think the results will come because it's the natural consequence of the work done. I always say that my players are the best in the world. I said it when I coached a small club, when I coached Porto, and when I coached Chelsea, and from now on the best players in the world are those of Inter. We can reach positive results by working together. I have won twelve trophies in the last six seasons and I think that I can win something important here too."
Let's be honest. I am talking absolute bullshit. Jose talks down to everyone because no-one can understand him. I coached Porto*, and hopped to Chelsea, taking a lot of players with me, and now I'll do the same here.
* [Funnily enough, Porto just got banned from the Champions League for bribery that occurred during the year that Jose made them the best team around. Oops. We'll be covering this in more detail shortly.]
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Two Men Walk Into An Ice Cream Parlor....
See this here on the right? It's proof that Arsenal's Alexandre Hleb and an agent Claudio Vigorelli were not conspiring with Internazionale when Arsenal was in Milan torching the elderly, I mean beating AC Milan in Champions League play.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is considering reporting Inter to UEFA for tapping up the Belarusian. The involved claim that it was completely innocent meeting.
From the article:"It's true that Hleb saw Vigorelli and they went out from the Melia Felix but it's not true that they went to talk to Inter Milan," said Morabito. "They went for an ice-cream. We are sorry that Mr Wenger took it badly and complained because we have a good relationship with him."
See nothing wrong with that. There was nothing ill-toward going on in regards to Hleb's contractual situation. Either Vigorelli is practicing his child seduction skills on Hleb or the two went on a man-date. In either case, there is absolutely nothing weird with two men going to have ice cream together.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Managerial Silly Season Begins
In the wake of Inter's pitiful showing against Liverpool at the San Siro on Tuesday night, manager Roberto Mancini stunned reporters at the press conference afterwards by announcing he was leaving the club after the season. To be fair, it was probably a smart move on his part, as owner Massimo Moratti was probably going to sack him over the summer anyways after repeated bedshitting in Europe's top level club competition. So Inter is the first big job open, and the rumors are starting to fly. An attempt to sort out the rumor carousel, after the jump.
Rafa Benitez was asked if he would want the Inter job on Tuesday night, and responded that he was happy at Liverpool. But the ongoing turmoil in the boardroom at Anfield might lead him to look for a more stable situation. One place that is likely to have a vacancy is Barcelona, where Frank Rijkaard is almost certainly on his way out, especially in the wake of Barca's two week choke fiesta in La Liga. The Dutchman may be a decent tactician, but he is clearly not a disciplinarian, and Ronaldinho et al appear to be taking full advantage. Even the great Thierry Henry is reportedly disgruntled. The rumor is that Roman Abramovich would like Rijkaard to take over at Stamford Bridge, where Avram Grant is clearly gone after this season. The loss at Barnsley may have sealed his fate, but its pretty clear that he is out of his depth in trying to manage such an expensive squad. John Terry appears to have decided he doesn't have to listen to the coaching staff, and other less vocal players have probably already tuned out the gaffer. Drogba looks like he is on his way out the door, along with Frank Lampard and the useless Shevchenko (get your wallet out, Alexi Lalas!). The Rijkaard connection makes sense if Roman is really serious about buying Ronaldinho, but such a laissez faire manager is the worst thing a club like Chelsea needs right now. Jose Mourinho was successful because he had a strong personality and was able to instill discipline in the squad. If Roman wasn't such a starfucker, he would consider someone sensible like Martin O'Neill. Maybe Marco Van Basten would be interested in the wake of the apparent collapse of the Johan Cruyff revolution at Ajax. The most hilarious rumor I have seen is Mancini taking over. Hopefully Roman doesn't read the ebays and see this hilarious diatribe from a Nerazurri blooger. The media savvy Portuguese was in the news last week claiming that he would like to "kill" Chelsea in the Champions League next year. Jose will have his pick of jobs this summer, and the place where he would be the best fit is at the Nou Camp. Barca are in desperate need of some direction, and Mourinho did feature in the coaching set up there in the 1990s. The Catalan press has even been doing its best to rehabilitate him in the wake of the contentious Champions League ties he presided over. Mourinho is also in play for the Inter job, and Barca will supposedly go for a younger manager, such as Laurent Blanc at Bordeaux, if Jose goes to Milan. One other "big" job that should be open is at Lyon, where Alain Perrin has underachieved despite winning a crucial match against Bordeaux over the weekend. Lyon were dumped out of the Champions League again this year, and team president Jean-Michel Aulas has indicated his ambition to actually have a deep run in the competition. Didier Deschamps, who took serious dark horse Monaco to the 2004 Champions League final, is rumored to be sniffing around. Whoever is running the club will likely have some serious coin to spend after Lyon unload Benzama during the summer transfer window. Getting back to Inter, the smart money says they go for Cesare Prandelli, fashion icon and Fiorentina boss, who just finished dumping Everton out of the UEFA Cup. I think the fans want Moratti to "Italianize" the team a bit more (were there any Italians in the starting XI at the San Siro on Tuesday?), and I doubt he looks abroad for a manager. Unless Mourinho is available. He's sooooo hot right now.
[Editor's note: Well apparently Mancini is staying, so disregard all the Inter-based speculation, at least for now. But Avram is still getting sacked...]
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